“Walter Becker was my friend, my writing partner and my bandmate since we met as students at Bard College in 1967,” Fagen wrote. “He was smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter. He was cynical about human nature, including his own, and hysterically funny. I intend to keep the music we created together alive as long as I can with the Steely Dan band.”

Other artists, including Slash, Questlove and Ryan Adams, also shared their feelings about Becker and his music.